Sports Complex Closer to Completion

A four-year community project takes a giant leap towards the finish line. The latest step also brings area youth closer to safe, supervised fun.

Many Taylor County youth use neighborhood streets as their play area. Teenagers Tedrick and Brian say there's not much more for them to do than ride their bikes. That's why they can't wait for the new Taylor County sports complex to be completed.

Tedrick White, 18 years old, said, "When you don't have anything else to do, you can go out there and have fun."

Brian Vinson, 15 years old, added, "It would be less drugs off the street, less criminals. It would get them into active stuff instead of trouble."

Thanks to a $200,000 grant from the state of Florida, the county has help finishing the construction of the sports complex.

Melody Cox, Grants Coordinator for Taylor County, said, "The grant's to be used for construction of a trail around the perimeter, which will connect to the Taylor Greenway, one baseball diamond, another small playground, a picnic pavilion, security lighting, and a little bit more parking."

The complex will feature a half dozen soccer fields, a couple of tennis and basketball courts, and several playgrounds.

Leigh Gurr says this will most definitely give her children something better to do than ride bikes in the street.

The soccer fields are slated to open in August, but Cox says the entire complex will hopefully be complete by the end of next year. This is the second $200,000 grant given to the Taylor County Sports Complex by Florida's Recreation Development Assistant Program.

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